I want to say I loved this book but it was just too dense for me. Brilliant concept but it's a little too academic in style for my own tastes.

Between the turn of the millennium in the year 1000 and the climactic Battle of Hastings in 1066, the rule of England was a complex process. Between Anglo-Saxons, Danes and Normans, the webs of family ties, loyalty and enemies stretched over the North Sea and the throne changed hands many times. In this book Holloway shows how the separate strands linked and how history was made. It is a complicated tale (many protagonists have similar names) but reads like an Early Medieval epic.

Great read for a factual historical book. I knew some of the detail but this filled in a lot of gaps.
The book charts the 100 years up to and including 1066 and the immediate aftermath.
An intriguing read of treachery family feuds and rivalries between Anglo Saxons, Normans and Danes and their divided loyalties.
To read this is to understand the brutality of surviving in this age of emerging kingdoms.

Don Hollway brings the chaos of eleventh-century England to life in this fascinating work of historical nonfiction. Dividing the book into sections based on the major players (the Vikings, the Normans, the Anglos, and the Saxons), Hollway clearly denotes the years at the beginning of the chapters and does a fantastic job of engaging with the historical record and the relevant documents throughout this compelling book. Hollway’s prose is very concise and engaging, as he has compiled and organized this book in a way which keeps readers engaged with the various battles, rulers, and historical events. Hollway has done a fantastic job in keeping the readers’ attention and limiting potential confusion over the various names and the difficulties of early languages and the translations to modern English. Hollway has also included several fascinating historical women throughout this book such as Emma of Normandy, among others, and he credits these women with some incredible actions and deeds from the chaotic, violent upheavals of the eleventh century British isle. Battle for the Island Kingdom is a great introduction to eleventh century England for new and familiar readers alike, and Hollway has done a fantastic job recreating this incredible, exciting, and wonderful period of history.

Pausing to consider the implications of the machinations of all the players - Vikings, Angl0-Saxon, and Norman - during the six decades prior to the climatic battles of 1066, I often sent up a prayer of thanks for not having lived during that period of devastation, treachery, pillage, and brutal battles. Portraying sixty years of conflicts, this detailed and engrossing book brings the historical characters to life amid an epic struggle for a kingdom in medieval England.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC - which allowed me to post this honest and voluntary review.

This is an expansive history of a period lesser known in English history. Don Holloway guides the reader with ease through a sometimes complicated array of historical figures, their accomplishments, and often their downfalls. The book is well-researched yet is simplistically written for the common reader who may not be as acquainted with Anglo-Saxon history. In addition, the structure of the book is well done, the choice of chronological order is the most obvious choice for a historical analysis such as this one, yet, Holloway knows when to provide glimpses of past or future events in the timeline so the book reads more at times like a grand epic novel than that of non-fiction. This book is an excellent addition to a small collection of literature on the Anglo-Saxon period for the everyday reader and every budding historian should find a place for it on their shelves.

In all honesty I was a bit conflicted about the beginning sections of this book.The many characters and storylines between the Vikings and Anglo Saxons was rather difficult to follow.The writing was often scholarly and in some sections weren't always clear and concise to me.However,by the time we reach the Norman invaders I was hooked on the battle scenes and the many details of William the Conqueror's climb to power.The author also managed to show off William's personality which I found quite fascinating.The last sections absolutely made up for the beginning and I would love to read something else on this topic from this author in the future.

I am delighted to report that "Battle for the Island Kingdom: England's Destiny 1000-1066" by Don Hollway and published by Osprey Publishing is one of the finest books I have ever read (and I have read more than a few) on the Battle of Hastings and the events which surrounded it, to include the Norman Conquest. I am very grateful to the people at Osprey for providing me with an ARC for examination of this truly outstanding text. What so delights me here is the way that the author begins almost a century before the Norman Conquest to set the stage and clarify who the main players were and how they came to have claims to the English throne. If you are familiar with the events immediately surrounding the Battle of Hastings, you are well aware that, at a minimum, it represented the culmination of a three way struggle for the English throne. What the author does so well is to reveal that it is far more complex than even that might lead one to believe. You don't get far into this text before you see the real life roots of much of the fantasy fiction out there surrounding the Byzantine machinations of medieval politics, bloody, ruthless and having as much to do with the marriage bed as the often sadistic proclivities of the players involved. The book reads like that! By the time you reach the end, you not only have a much greater grasp of the events that shaped modern Great Britain, but you begin to understand the complex sets of rules and "guidelines" that dominated the Middle Ages, from Lady Godiva to a variety of Popes and Kings; it is all here in truly fascinating detail. I recommend this book without reservation. If I could, I would give it 6 stars; the storytelling and balanced and often surprisingly nuanced perspectives the author presents are unparalleled in my experience. If you represent a college library or even a fairly balanced public library, this belongs on your shelves.

In the six decades leading up to 1066, England endured a chaotic power struggle between Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans that would forever reshape its future.

This gripping history chronicles the battles, political maneuvers, and domineering figures of this dramatic era. Meet cunning Viking warlords and belligerent Saxon kings. Encounter ruthless Norman dukes and strategic queens like Emma of Normandy who altered dynasties through marriage.

Exploring sixty years of violent conflicts, this thorough and engrossing book illuminates the epic struggle for dominance in medieval England.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The amazing story of Aethelraed of England and the battles leading up to the Norman Conquest. This book is interesting even if you’ve read a lot about the period.

There are two types of people who will love Don Hollway's Battle for the Island Kingdom. First, people who go down Wikipedia rabbit holes and end up on an article like, 'List of English Monarchs." Then, you start reading about these people and see a cluster where a bunch of kings keep dying really early in their reigns. You ask yourself, "What the heck was going on here?" And yes, I am this type of person.

The second type of person who would love this book is pretty much everyone else. There is war, back-stabbing, polygamy, politics, poisonings, and a saint or two. What's not to love? Hollway focuses specifically on the years 1000-1066 in England. Why these dates? Well, any history nerd (and/or British person) knows that in 1066 William the Conqueror decided to...conquer. But before that is a time period which does not get as many books written about it probably because it is very difficult to untangle the absolute mess that was the monarchy. Seriously, they recycled so many names. Luckily, Hollway keeps everything clear and concise while telling a great story.

Come on, don't you want to learn more about Eadwig All-Fair? How could you not?

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)

The period between the new millennium in the year 1000 and the Norman Conquest of 1066 was a time of enormous upheaval and unrest in England, as the Anglo Saxons, Vikings and Normans all competed for the Crown. It's a story of war, intrigue, politics and betrayal that reads like Game of Thrones and yet in many ways it's a period less familiar to us (certainly to me) in any great detail than 1066 itself.

It's a very complicated story and as a result it took me a while to get really engrossed and to get my head around all those involved, particularly as the Anglo Saxon and Viking names are so unfamiliar to me beyond the most well known. However, the author does an excellent job of laying it all out and the further I got, the more my mind became attuned to the names and it got a lot clearer! It's certainly a fascinating period which has had a huge impact on the country's history and I found it intriguing to think how different things may have been with a different result.

The research is immaculate, a combination of sources from the time and other academic works, and I was particularly pleased that the role played by the women involved and the influence they had was a full part of the story told. As someone with limited knowledge of the period, I found it a fascinating introduction and it's whet my appetite to find out more, always a good sign for a history book!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review.

#BattlefortheIslandKingdom #NetGalley